Tech Career Advice, Tested by People in the Industry

Real-world tech career advice for building a network, acing technical interviews, negotiating salary, managing a team and everything else it takes to find and keep a job in tech, as shared by the Hacker News community.

Latest Discussions

Industry Analysis3d ago

Enforcement of Salary Transparency Laws

The discussion debates the effectiveness and enforcement of salary disclosure laws in New York. While one user claims the law is being ignored by mid-sized firms, others suggest the law's impact is visible through increased transparency in corporate roles and that enforcement often relies on citizen reporting and class-action litigation rather than proactive government monitoring.

Join the thread - 5 comments

🔗 'Ghost jobs' could soon be illegal in New York

Experience Report4d ago

Interviewing: Practical vs. LeetCode

Users debate the effectiveness of practical coding challenges (like building 7-segment displays) versus algorithmic LeetCode-style questions for frontend roles. A key insight is the consensus that practical, component-based tasks better reflect real-world UI work and reduce the 'memory vs. skill' pressure found in competitive programming.

Join the thread - 6 comments

🔗 Not mine, but it's a website where you can use a segment display

General Discussion13d ago

Job Hunting Strategies for Freshers

To overcome a lack of network, freshers should build practical, cloud-integrated (AWS/GCP) projects tailored for small businesses to facilitate LinkedIn outreach, or develop a startup-style project to demonstrate business acumen and drive internal referrals.

Join the thread - 6 comments

🔗 Only 2.5% of 12,779 tech job listings are entry-level

Experience Report6d ago

Job Hunting and Referral Challenges

Users discuss the inefficiency of cold applying versus the necessity of referrals. A key friction point identified is the difficulty for those without existing software engineering networks to secure referrals, alongside the prevalence of low-quality recruiter outreach.

Join the thread - 3 comments

🔗 Ask HN: Why is the best way to find a job as a Software Engineer in 2026?

Industry Analysis5d ago

Navigating AI-centric technical interviews

The thread discusses the dilemma post-grad job seekers face when answering questions about LLM usage. While some argue for extreme honesty to avoid toxic cultures, many contributors (including hiring managers) suggest that hedging or being 'evasive' is a negative signal. Actionable insights include: 1) Avoid long-winded, non-committal answers; 2) Use specific examples of where AI helps and where it fails to show nuance; 3) Focus on 'when' and 'how' rather than just 'how much' to demonstrate professional judgment; and 4) Recognize that in tight markets, showing initiative/curiosity about new tools (like AI agents) is often treated as a prerequisite.

Join the thread - 170 comments

🔗 Not everyone is using AI for everything

Industry Analysis12d ago

The mechanics and flaws of modern hiring processes

The thread examines the transition from technical evaluations to automated personality and intelligence testing. Key insights: candidates should identify the specific hiring archetype (e.g., experience matching vs. formal rubric) to tailor their approach, recognize that many screening tools are designed for HR 'defensibility' rather than skill accuracy, and note that 'soft skills' interviews often measure storytelling and compliance rather than actual collaborative competency.

Join the thread - 43 comments

🔗 Algorithmic Monocultures in Hiring